Patricia Hamill's Blog: I read too much!, page 17

Review: Wander Dust by Michelle Warren

Wander Dust by Michelle Warren

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Exciting and magical YA, can't wait to read the next...

The story opens at Sera's birthday dinner. Her father, engrossed in his flirty girlfriend, barely acknowledges his daughter's presence, which is probably why he doesn't notice when a mysterious, and obviously evil, woman in black takes an interest in her. It isn't until Sera collapses to the ground under the fiery weight of the woman's attack on her mind, that he realizes something's wrong. Of course, Sera can't tell him what really happened. She's not even sure of it herself.

Reality crushing events continue to haunt Sera to the point she begins to doubt her sanity even as she discovers clues to the mysteries of her past, present, and future. When her father sends her to live with her aunt in Chicago, she soon realizes that insanity is the least of her worries.

I love how the author weaves together a bit of steampunk and magic into the story. I'm a steampunk newbie, at least in books, but I know enough to recognize elements of it in this book. The gadgets, the animated metal guardians, and the larger than life technology with an old world flair are hard to miss. I also dig how they use some of the gadgets in conjunction with their powers.

As for the magical aspects, I was happy to realize this is a story where a young girl discovers she has powers, and that she discovers them on her own and thinks she's losing her mind makes it all the more interesting. There are some similarities to Harry Potter in that there is a magical school, and like the wizards in that other series, those that share Sera's gifts have formed a secret society and keep themselves separate from the "normals." The magical system is solid and consistently applied, which is important to keeping the fantasy believable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book in the series. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy YA, with a touch of magic and romance on the side. YA steampunk fans may also find this book to their liking, though I'm uncertain how closely this story conforms to the genre.



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Review: Iron William and the Carpenter's Tears by Michael Gardner

Iron William and the Carpenter's Tears by Michael Gardner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Great plot, well-researched, and above all, fun to read!

Iron William Kidd is a former secret agent for the English King Henry. After falling out of favor, he finds himself opposite a former colleague, Hamilton Rush. When the two collide, the results are disastrous for both, though Kidd seems to get the worst of it. He nearly loses his hands, but his friend Vllen, one of the innovative minds of the budding renaissance, devises a pair of metal gauntlets that fuse with his maimed flesh.

Not only must Kidd cope with his less than agile replacement hands, but also a nearly impossible quest. With nothing more than a snippet of text hinting at the missing relic's existence and the threat of the Church's retribution should he fail, Kidd is faced with the ultimate cold case file, and he's not the only one after the prize.

First of all, bravo on the research. The story is set in the renaissance, where science and innovation are just starting to take off. The locations, the empires, and the way of life are depicted realistically, as are the biblical references (and scenes). In fact, I found the lost history of the Tears to be the most fascinating aspect of the story. Never too much at once, the details are brought to life as Kidd discovers them, sometimes by chance, other times by deduction.

The plot is solid, and everything that happens in the story, happens for a reason, and the story moves forward in a natural progression that draws one to the next page, the next chapter and right into the wee hours of the morning. One of the things I enjoyed is that the story mixes epic quest with historical mystery. Add in the action and the likable characters and it makes for a fun and exciting read. I'm not often able to link a book to a similar book or movie, but in this case, the Indiana Jones movies seem to be a good match.

As for flaws, there were few. I noticed a few typos here and there, but they are infrequent and didn't distract me from the story. Also, the part where Kidd is in training seems a bit rushed in places and slow in others. Although both the stump exercise and the snake test are tied in with the story later on, I'm not exactly sure what Kidd was supposed to learn from them.

Overall, Iron William and the Carpenter's Tears has a fantastic story line, interesting characters and solid details. I most definitely plan to read this book again and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical action/adventure with a powerful relic thrown in the mix, secret societies bent on protecting it and powerful villains out to exploit it. Those who love watching (and perhaps re-watching) the Indiana Jones movies will likely enjoy this book for the same reasons.

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review.



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On a side note, I am happy to announce that Forgotten Valor (Shadows of Valor #2), is finally complete. Learn more here. Stay tuned for cover reveal and release date!

Review: Xenolith by A. Sparrow

Xenolith by A. Sparrow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Complex and intriguing...

Xenolith starts with the definition of the stone of the same name: "a stone foreign to the matrix that embeds it." This story has many elements that refer themselves to this definitions.

First, the story is told in a non-linear fashion. Something will happen, sparking a memory, and then we travel back with that person and experience it with them, before coming back to the present, or sometimes almost back to the present. I've read books using this format before, sometimes with confusing results, but in this book, there are enough clues, prompts, and guides built in to keep everything straight. Each change of time and perspective is purposeful and meaningful, and I love the complexity it yields and how it relates to the title of the book.

Second, it isn't obvious from the description, though it's hinted, but the story isn't limited to earth. Like the timeline, the locations seem layered, with Earth (referred to as Ur in the book) the xenolith between three other disparate lands, Gi, Venen and Sesei. Earth is the path between the others, a closely guarded secret held by those from Sesei. Only a select few know they exist, and of those, even fewer know how to predict the convergences that briefly connect the two worlds. But invasion forces Sesei to use their knowledge in defense, and the secret is revealed.

The xenolith stones provide the third, most obvious, link back to the title. Beautiful, resembling fool's gold, these stones exist in two worlds. At predictable intervals, they draw the two locations into one, a convergence. Anyone or anything caught in the convergence on one end is shifted to the other end, though the process is sometimes dangerous, even deadly. As such, the stones are kept in out of the way places, where incidental discovery is unlikely.

The people are the fourth link to the title. Doctor Frank, finds himself in a strange land, which he believes at first to be Guatemala, but eventually concedes is not. Seor and her scouting team from Sesei are on a mission that makes their own comrades their enemies and that lands them in Ur, a world they know little about. Seor as leader of her team feels uncomfortable in her position of leadership, as though she doesn't truly deserve it. Ara, a member of the elite cadre, finds herself questioning longstanding loyalties and her role in the war, and as such no longer quite fits in with her countrymen. It's a theme that repeats itself in subtle and not so subtle ways throughout the book, and I enjoyed looking for the connections.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed Xenolith for it's complexity, it's unique story line, and most of all for the rich cast of characters. People who like contemporary fantasy or sci-fi books, especially those that make you think, will most likely enjoy this book. Those who are easily confused or frustrated, especially when a story isn't told in order, may want to steer clear, or at least recognize that this one doesn't conform to a normal storytelling format if they do decide to read it.

I came across this book for free on Amazon, which is, I think, its normal state.



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Review: The Quest for Juice by Jonathan-David Jackson

The Quest for Juice by Jonathan-David Jackson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Quirky, dark and funny.

Oscar Wells suspects 'they' are up to no good in his town. All of his extensive research, documented meticulously on a wall in his house, points towards a dark conspiracy. First, it's little things, like his key not quite fitting and having to jiggle it to open his door. But when his favorite Sunshine Juice is replaced by Sunlight OJ, "now with 50% more real orange pulp," they've gone too far. From there Oscar spirals into a paranoid breakdown that lands him first in jail and later in a mental ward, and then it gets really interesting.

Oscar is a mess. The book is told from his perspective and he freely walks you through every connection, suspicion and thought that lead him to his often tenuous conclusions and decidedly odd outlook on life. I found myself laughing aloud many a time.

On the other hand, the unlikely outcome requires quite a leap of faith, even through the eyes of the delusional main character. Entertaining, yes; believable, no. I'm not certain I would read the next one in the series when it comes out, because I'm not sure what's left to tell based on where the story left off.

Overall, The Quest for Juice is an enjoyable read with a ton of humorous, though at times dark, insanity sprinkled in. I highly recommend it to people who like stories where reality and perception clash in interesting ways. This story kept me guessing and second guessing, and I loved that about it.



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Freebee on Smashwords, Shadows of Valor

A big welcome to my recent followers. As a special gift, here is a coupon code for a free copy of Shadows of Valor on Smashwords.com.

GD23W
Expires: 10/05/2013
URL: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Enjoy and share with all your friends!

Review: The Color of Thunder by J.C. Wing

The Color of Thunder by J.C. Wing

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Beautiful and satisfying, though sometimes bogged down in the details.

The Color of Thunder follows young Faith Linsey as she grows up in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. As the daughter of a prominent and respected pastor, her role in the family and the community is one of service. To her father, she is an extra female useful for helping her mother with the household and for keeping her unruly sister, Hope, out of trouble.

Faith embraces her responsibilities and accepts the world at face value until one fateful night when she witnesses her father sneaking out into the night to send a fiery message to a family who committed the unspeakable crime of showing kindness and giving a ride to their young black housekeeper. Rocked by the revelation that her father isn't the righteous man she'd always believed him to be, Faith begins to take note of the things happening in her family, her town and the world.

Set in the South during the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, racial tension and gender bias color an otherwise normal, though at times tragic, upbringing. Incidents like a young boy tragically murdered after talking to a white shopkeeper's wife on a dare reveal much about the times and are shocking, in part because of the reactions of the various characters such as women overheard in a shop chatting about the gall of the young boy and saying he deserved it versus the newspaper article Faith finds that portrays in gruesome detail his injuries and his mother's refusal to hold a closed casket funeral.

The members of her family and are wrought with realistic personalities: prideful and prejudiced, loving and dutiful, haughty and irreverent, and, of course, innocent and sweet. Most of all, I enjoyed watching Faith and her siblings grow up, their values and beliefs developing in response to love, strife, and loss. I was pleased that her brother Luke, though he follows his father into the ministry, does not follow him in his world views. Hope, rascally as she is, is one of my favorite characters. Her fierce yet tender loyalty and devotion to little Grace is truly heartwarming.

Overall, I found this book satisfying and thought provoking, though the level of detail sometimes gets carried away. I do not need to know that a person is using their back molars to chew something, nor do I need to be reminded exactly how and to what body parts sweat drenched clothing is sticking. In particular, these details are distracting when placed right in the middle of dialog and expounded upon at length.

In my opinion, this is not a book you should read when tired; it is too easy to lose track of what's going on. And, perhaps as a side effect of the overzealous descriptions, the book is quite lengthy. I rarely skim or speed read, but there were times I found myself doing that to try to find the next significant detail in the story. That being said, some of the images brought nearly tangible memories of my own childhood to mind, yielding mixed feelings about the level of detail. In some ways, it's too much; but in others, it's just right.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy coming of age stories, historical fiction, and a realistic telling of life during a difficult time in our country's history. This is a story that deserves to be read in a cheerful, bright location, perhaps a garden or cozy breakfast nook within view of nature and the sun, perfect complements to the vivid prose. While the story is lengthy, I think readers will be able to quickly and accurately determine whether this story is to their taste as the opening chapters are representative of the whole.


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Have you read this?  Let me know what you thought in the comments.


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Review: Sea of Silver Light (Otherland #4) by Tad Williams

Sea of Silver Light by Tad Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An exciting conclusion, I loved it.

Everything falls apart at the close of Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland #3), and now the unlikely heroes of the Otherland system are scattered far and wide in the heart of the dying operating system and beyond. Renie, !Xabbu, and Fredericks are stuck with unlikely allies in the evil Felix Jongleur and the brain damaged Ricardo Klement. But even this tenuous partnership is shattered when the virtual world shatters, and Renie finds herself stranded in an amorphous landscape with the doddering Klement her only companion.

Martine, Paul Jonas, T4b, and Florimel find themselves back in the already terrifying bug world, made even worse with horrifically human-bug mutations on the loose, mutations whose sole desire is to rip them limb from limb. Not even the benevolent Kunohara seems to be able to hold off the writhing masses for long.

In the real world, things are becoming truly scary for little Christabel. Her daddy learns of Mr. Sellers and now the entire family, plus Sellers, the boy Cho Cho and the lawyer Catur Ramsey, end up on the run together. But they can't run forever...

Meanwhile Dulcie Anwin awakens from her fledgling crush on Johnny Dread into growing unease and fear, even as he begins to show her the romantic attention she has long desired. Dread himself revels in both the virtual destruction of the Otherland realms and the terrorization of the Other itself, the effects of which are felt keenly by those still trapped within the system.

Finally, Long Joseph, Jeremiah, and Del Rey find themselves under siege, the military stronghold under the mountain no longer the sanctuary they'd thought it to be. It's only a matter of time before Dread's mercenaries break through the base's defenses, and all the three have to defend themselves are a single gun with three bullets and none among them skilled enough to make them count.

This is perhaps the most edgy installment of the Otherland series. Everything seems to be falling apart and danger stalks the heroes and the villains at every turn. No one is safe, and still the children lie comatose in their hospital beds. Will the destruction of the Otherland network spell their doom?

I love this book and the series that spawned it. You'll find no plot holes in this series, everything, even those things that seemed insignificant in the other books, finds a purpose in Otherland #4. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves sci fi and has the time and patience to tackle such a massive work.



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Missed my reviews for Otherland 1-3?  Check them out here:

City of Golden Shadow (Otherland #1) by Tad Williams

River of Blue Fire (Otherland #2) by Tad Williams

Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland #3) by Tad Williams



Have you read this series? Let me know what you thought in the comments.

An interview with David Estes, author of the fantastic Dwellers and Country Sagas

Welcome, David, and thank you for stopping by my blog for this interview.  I'm excited to participate in the Earth Dwellers Book Blast event.


Thanks so much, Patricia! It’s an honor to be able to stop by your awesome blog.

1.   Before we get started on the interview questions, why don't you take a moment to tell us a little bit about the Earth Dwellers?


This shouldn’t be a complicated question, but it is! Why? Because The Earth Dwellers is the 7th and final book that brings together two other series that, to this point, haven’t had any connection to each other; namely, The Dwellers Saga and The Country Saga. 

The Earth Dwellers is an attempt to bring an epic end to two YA dystopian series that take place in the same overall world, but with different characters, settings, and plotlines. However, in the final book, these characters and plotlines come together in a tale of rebellion against a tyrant, love, family, and unfortunately, loss. 

2.  David, you've written quite a few books over the past couple of years. Do you have a favorite?


Whew! It’s been a really busy couple of years! I’ve written and published 14 books (including my 4 Children’s chapter books) over the last three years. But picking a favorite would be like choosing your favorite child, right? Ha! Not exactly. Well, my favorite of my books was Fire Country, because of the strong and colorful personality of the protagonist, Siena (random fact: I’m responding to these interview questions while staying in Siena, Italy. Just a coincidence!). Siena spoke to me so strongly that she practically wrote the book herself. So I’ll always love Fire Country. But I have to say that my new favorite is definitely The Earth Dwellers, and I’m not just saying that because it’s my newest book. 

3.  What makes Earth Country your favorite?


First off, it’s the culmination of so many hours of hard work, more than 600,000 words, and a whole lot of stress and tears. It was never my goal to write a 7-book dystopian series, but now that I finished, it feels really really good.

Second, I honestly believe The Earth Dwellers is the best of my books. It has a lot of interesting characters, tons of twists, serious emotion, and what I believe is an amazing ending to the series. I was VERY worried I wouldn’t be able to do justice to the series in the final book, but I truly believe that, in the end, I was able to accomplish what I wanted.

4.  As a child, did you enjoy writing?


Great question! Surprisingly, not really! I think mostly because I never wrote what I wanted to write. Everything I wrote was for school, for assignments, dictated to me by someone else. I think if I had started writing just for the fun of it, I would have fell in love with it back then. Instead it took some encouragement from my wife when I was almost thirty years old before I gave it a shot!

But I DID love reading. I read so much as a child, it’s crazy to look back on it. My copy of The Lord of the Rings was so worn it looked like an antique. I read it at least ten times growing up.

5.  Let's talk a little bit about characters now.  I've seen a meme of your character, Perry, from Fire Country making the rounds on Goodreads. Can you share with me your thoughts on Perry and how he came to be?


Ha! No interview would be complete without a reference to Perry, one of my most famous and loved characters. Yes, a few of my awesome readers have started using various images of cacti as their Goodreads profile pictures.

For those who don’t know who Perry is, he’s a cactus, or a “prickler”, which is the slang term used by the characters in Fire Country. During a particularly troublesome time when the main character, Siena, is in prison, she begins conversing in her head with a prickler she names Perry. Is she crazy? Or does he really talk to her? Even I can’t answer that question, but all I know is that Perry is a funny one, always cracking jokes and taunting Siena, until they become good friends. (Spoiler alert: Perry might just make a cameo appearance in The Earth Dwellers!) 

So where did I get the idea to write in a plant as a character? Well, to be honest, it was inspired by a teddy bear (appropriately named “Teddy”) that my wife has had since she was very young. When we first started dating, I met Teddy, and immediately I started treating him as if he was a real, live creature (because he is), and the joke has lasted the length of our relationship. Teddy is a constant source of entertainment for us, and I consider him to be my arch nemesis. So yeah, Perry is based off of him! (Yes, I’m weird, I completely understand if you stop reading the interview at this point. But I highly suggest you check out Fire Country and give Perry a chance!)

6.  What are your thoughts on one of your characters going viral?


It’s hilarious!! I never thought that Perry, of all characters, would be the one to attract so much attention. But I’m glad. It shows people have a sense of humor and are as weird as me, which I like. 

Also, at the back of The Earth Dwellers, is an interview with Perry the Prickler. It was also posted on a blog here: http://lolabookreviews.blogspot.it/20...  

Finally, Perry has also done a guest post as part of The Earth Dwellers Blog Blast, all about how he feels about being a celebrity and having fans, check it out over at The Cover Contessa’s Blog! (Sorry, I don’t have a link yet)

7.  Who was your favorite character to write and why?


Easy. Siena. As I mentioned earlier, she practically wrote Fire Country herself, that’s how loud and certain her voice was in my head while working on that book. And in The Earth Dwellers it was no different. Siena is back with a whole point of view to herself, and the words just flowed like they were meant to be, like what I was writing was really happening.

8.  Let's shift from writing to reading for a bit. What kind of books do you most enjoy reading, and how do you pick which books to read next?


I love love love (did I mention love?) reading! Other than writing, it’s my favorite thing to do. I like most anything YA, although not contemporary as much (unless it’s really good). My favorite genres are dystopian (of course), fantasy, and paranormal. Some of my favorite books of all time are The Lord of the Rings, Chaos Walking, The Book Thief, and The Scorpio Races. I like books that move me and make me love the heroes and despise the villains.  

Well, nowadays most of my book recommendations come from Goodreads, and most from people I know from my Goodreads Fan Group, which now has more than 1,600 members (link at the bottom of the interview). I trust the people in my group and they rarely steer me wrong. If they say I’ll love a book, I usually do!

9.  Who do you look up to in the writing world?


Patrick Ness! I’m pretty much obsessed with his writing. Chaos Walking is an INCREDIBLE dystopian series. And A Monster Calls is poignant and magical. He has an unbelievable ability to build characters in just a few pages, and add so many layers and complexities to them. I wish I was a tenth of the writer that Ness is! Some of my readers have noticed Ness’s influence in Fire Country, and it’s definitely there!

Also, Dean Koontz. He’s one of my favorite adult writers (Odd Thomas and his Frankenstein series are both completely brilliant). What I take from him is that you can fill a book with suspense AND humor at the same time. I love that, and I try to do that in my own books.

10.  Is there anything else you would like to share before you go?


Yes! I pledged when I started writing to always respond to readers, and I love getting comments and questions, so please contact me using one of my favorite social networking sites below.  As always, happy reading!!

Thanks again for making a stop on my blog, David.  It's been great chatting with you.  You are a true inspiration to both indie authors and readers alike, and I wish you all the best with your new agent and a promising career as an author.


Thank you SO MUCH! It’s been a true pleasure chatting with you too. If anyone is interested, check out the links below for ways to stalk…I mean follow me. My fan group in particular is a fun place to hang out if you like chatting about YA books or reading books with a buddy! Plus, we have lots of authors who giveaway books in exchange for reviews and we have a monthly Amazon gift card prize to the member of the month! 

Where you can find David Estes hanging out:
My Goodreads Fan Group: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/7...

My blog/website: http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com

My Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-E...

My Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/davidestesbooks

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/davidestesbooks




Other YA Books by David Estes!
The Dwellers Saga:

Book One—The Moon Dwellers

Book Two—The Star Dwellers

Book Three—The Sun Dwellers

Book Four—The Earth Dwellers



The Country Saga:

Book One—Fire Country

Book Two—Ice Country

Book Three—Water and Storm Country

Book Four—The Earth Dwellers



The Evolution Trilogy

Book One- Angel EvolutionBook Two- Demon Evolution

Book Three- Archangel Evolution



Children’s Books by David Estes

The Nikki Powergloves Adventures:

Nikki Powergloves- A Hero is Born

Nikki Powergloves and the Power Council

Nikki Powergloves and the Power Trappers

Nikki Powergloves and the Great Adventure

Nikki Powergloves vs. the Power Outlaws (Coming soon!)

The David Estes Earth Dwellers Book Blast

Your favorite Dwellers and Country Saga characters come together in this epic seventh book!

As President Borg Lecter threatens to annihilate the Country tribes in order to expand his glass-domed empire, Adele ventures into the belly of the beast. Her only hope of survival is the consolidation of Dwellers and Country power before it’s too late. Former demagogue President Nailin is eliminated, yet civil unrest infects every alliance. To save Adele, President Tristan faces his greatest challenge yet: unifying unfriendly Dwellers in the Tri-Realms to raise an army against Lecter. Meanwhile, Dazz must convince the Ice Country leaders to march with Siena and the Tri-Tribes on the gates of the Glass City. The world sits on the edge of a knife. Will Adele, Tristan, Dazz, and Siena defeat Lecter and his army of killers before the Glassies wipe them off the face of the Earth.

Continue reading...

Dwellers and Country Sagas by David Estes- Pre-Book Blast Review Blast

I'm thrilled to announce that I'm going to be hosting not one, but two, posts for David Estes' Earth Dwellers Book Blast!


Keep an eye out for the kickoff post and giveaway scheduled to start September 5, 2013.  And stay tuned for my interview with David scheduled for September 10, 2013.

In the meantime, I'm going to be posting my reviews of the Dwellers and Country Saga books that culminate in the upcoming release of The Earth Dwellers, starting with The Moon Dwellers, book #1 in the Dwellers Saga, on my Blogspot sister blog.

Check out today's review here...

Update September 14, 2013: This links to the current post on the blogspot version of this blog, click the links below to check out the reviews.

Schedule of Reviews:
August 25, Moon Dwellers
August 27, Star Dwellers
August 29, Sun Dwellers
August 31, Fire Country
September 2, Ice Country
September 4, Water and Storm Country